


Sometimes friendship just comes softly

by tapferhills



Category: Agent Carter (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-19
Updated: 2019-05-19
Packaged: 2020-03-08 05:04:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,717
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18887740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tapferhills/pseuds/tapferhills
Summary: A variation of the soulmates trope.  Daniel is not that excited when he suspects Jack may share his and Peggy’s mark.  Gen.





	Sometimes friendship just comes softly

**Author's Note:**

  * For [glorious_spoon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/glorious_spoon/gifts).



> A rather grandiose title -“borrowed” (aka stolen) from the Love Comes Softly books- for this story, but couldn’t think of anything else.
> 
> This is an attempt at a version of soulmates/soul marks. Hopefully it makes sense in the story, but basically marks appear (romantic or platonic) whenever you meet a person who becomes or will become a deep part of your life. 
> 
> Never done one of these before so hopefully it’s all right.

Life had settled into a routine, more or less. Jack was the new Dooley, snapping out orders to everyone. Sousa and Carter were back at their desks, quietly going about their cases. It almost seemed like nothing had changed.

But there were differences. The other agents treated them with respect. And Jack tossed the interesting, dangerous (fun) assignments their way, listened to their ideas, even ordered them out to lunch with him (although looking back, Daniel admitted, Jack had always invited him out to lunch with the boys).

“Sousa, Carter, you’re with me.” Jack didn’t wait for them as he strode out of his office. Peggy just shared a long-suffering smile as they followed him into the field.

The mission had almost instantly turned exciting, their quarry bolting as soon as they’d stepped out of the car. Peggy and Jack had torn off after the suspect, and Daniel threw himself into the driver’s seat and sped after them.

It ended with three of them battered and bruised but victorious. Daniel stayed on the ground, exhausted but jubilant at having a hand in the literal take-down. He grinned in satisfaction as Jack escorted the now-prisoner to the car.

“There’s nothing quite like it,” Peggy murmured, matching his grin as she hauled herself up.

Daniel was about to agree when something caught his eye. Jack’s sleeve, torn from the fight, had fluttered in the breeze, and for a moment, Daniel could have sworn…

“What’s wrong?” Peggy asked, following his gaze.

“Nothing. Must have hit my head a little bit.”

…

The war created many bonds of friendship, brothers-in-arms, facing death together. But death was most often the winner of such encounters, and as a result, most GIs came home riddled with fading marks. The ex-soldiers never talked about it, never talked about whom the marks designated, but occasionally the others would see a fading design, and the newly-minted civilians would share a drink to the memory.

But once the war was over, Daniel hadn’t received a single one since. It was only natural, deeper connections became fewer and farther between as one aged. Most men were only looking for the soul marks, the proof of romantic allure.

Sousa would admit that he’d been hoping, when he’d first realized a mark was forming on his wrist and had had a pretty good idea to whom it belonged, that his new mark would be one such romantic bond. But it turned out to be just a mark of friendship, although there was nothing _just_ about it. He and Peggy had a connection, both of them outsiders in some way, and the mark had cemented it, reassured him of her place as one of his bedrocks of support.

…

It bothered him. Daniel knew it had just been his mind playing tricks on him, but he couldn’t get the thought out of his head. Their mark on Jack. He found himself constantly trying to catch another glimpse of Thompson’s bare arm.

Jack didn’t seem to notice his odd behavior, but Peggy did.

“What’s gotten into you, Daniel?” she asked him a week later. After a moment’s hesitation, he told her.

“Jack’s arm,” Daniel pointed at the spot on his own. “Last week I thought I saw our mark on it.”

“On Jack’s arm?” Peggy repeated. Her nose wrinkled. “What a disturbing thought.”

Daniel laughed with her. “I know; that’s why I want to make sure it was just a hallucination.”

…

Peggy still has Steve’s soulmark. She’s grateful for its location now, though before she had rolled her eyes at its cheesy location on her heart. Steve had laughed and tried to flirt, saying it was all part of the Captain America image. It hadn’t faded after his death, not even now. Sometimes, Peggy would prefer it to do so; she knew she had to move on. But mostly, she was proud of its permanence, a symbol to the rest of the world that what they had felt was real and special, not like what they made a mockery of on the Captain America broadcasts.

Peggy had only ever had the one soulmark, but she’d been blessed with many platonic ones in her life. She and Howard had marks, forged during their shared grief over Steve’s death. Hers had faded a little, as they’d dropped out of each other’s lives after the war. It had strengthened again when she’d helped him clear his name, and Peggy had a feeling they would always be entangled in each other’s lives in some way. Although it was a little embarrassing to admit she was, in some small way, bonded to that sex fiend.

The bond with Daniel had been a welcome relief. An ally in the SSR, a sweet, well-meaning man with good instincts. Their marks had begun to form ever since he’d seen her quietly grieving and tried to give her her privacy. Their friendship had continued to grow exponentially ever since.

She…couldn’t say the same with Jack. For so long, she’d been just ‘Marge’ to him, the girl with the lunch orders and the filing. How dare he intrude on her and Daniel’s friendship.

But then again, she shared a friendship mark with Howard Stark, of all people, and she could admit, to herself at least, that she was proud of his friendship. There was more to Howard than most realized. Perhaps it would be the same with Jack.

After all, Jack was a very good agent, and had occasionally treated her with respect even before her actions in the Stark case had been known. And they’d worked well together after Dooley’s death. The three of them– her, Daniel, and Jack. They were a great team.

…

The next morning, Peggy sidled up to Daniel’s desk and asked, low and thoughtful, “Would it really be that bad?”

It took a moment, then his eyes narrowed as comprehension dawned. “Are you serious? Jack?”

“Daniel,” Peggy drew his name out in a quiet reprimand.

.

But it would be that bad, Daniel wanted to yell. It was Thompson. Agent now Chief Thompson. It was like he’d said during the Stark fiasco, even without the Midnight Oil gas, he usually wanted to kill Agent Thompson.

But then again…

Daniel sighed. He was honest enough to admit that every time he worked with Jack it was always less aggravating than he expected it to be.

…

“Sousa, I’m coming with.”

Daniel was not happy but couldn’t say no to the backup. Although how much trouble Thompson thought arresting one butler would be, he didn’t know.

Jack drove. “So, you think Dooley’s obsessing over Stark?”

Daniel hadn’t expected the question from Jack. He figured Thompson would brown-nosingly embrace every one of the chief’s ideas. But maybe it was bugging him, too. “The man’s on the run. Why would he come back here to blow up Roxxon?”

“I hear you,” Jack replied, oblivious to Daniel’s surprise at the remark. “But like the boss said, Stark could still give the orders to have it blown up.”

“But you’d think he’d be a little busy keeping one step ahead of the law, so why bother?”

“Send a message? He and Jones are professional rivals; even money they’re rivals in the black market as well.” A snort. “Still, we are making him sound like a diabolical mob boss, and that doesn’t quite seem to be his personality.”

Daniel had to agree with that assessment.

That drive had not been as unpleasant as it could have been. In fact, if Daniel were honest, working with Jack was usually not unpleasant.

There’d be the occasional barbs thrown, but half the time, Daniel knew, he was throwing them first. And they did work well together.

Not being aggravating though was a whole lot different than being marked as a soul-deep, life-changing friendship.

…

It was an abysmally hot week. The office seemed to be swimming in sweat; every man had jackets off and shirtsleeves rolled up.

Including, Daniel realized as Thompson signed some documents the newest agent had nervously handed him, Jack.

It was the first chance he’d had in weeks. Daniel tilted casually in his seat to get the right angle.

Huh. It was there. He didn’t think he’d actually been expecting that.

Catching Peggy’s eye, he jerked his head. He watched as her eyes turned to Jack, saw them widen when she saw the mark. Her hand began tracing the design on her own wrist, a smile tugging at her lips.

She glanced back to Daniel. “Are you okay?” she mouthed.

Daniel still didn’t know. He just shrugged; no reaction’s a good reaction, right? He swiveled back in his chair; yep, the mark was still there.

Jack, having tossed the papers back to the newbie, finally realized they were staring and after a moment’s search, saw what in particular had their attention.

“Jack,” Peggy began, but Thompson interrupted her.

“Relax, ladies,” he said, his voice dripping in disdain, “we all saw it in the war. Marks pop up between people in stressful situations all the time. It’ll fade.” And he strode past them back into his office.

Jack had known about the mark, had seen his and Peggy’s marks numerous times, and had chosen to ignore it. A few months ago, Daniel would have seen it as evidence of the man’s superiority complex, a smug agent who couldn’t bear the thought of being connected to a cripple and a woman wannabe agent. Now, though...

…

“Come on, there’s no way Carter doesn’t know who DiMaggio is.”

“I don’t know, she is British, and there was a war on.”

“Ten bucks, Sousa?”

“You’re on, Jack.”

.

“Congrats, Sousa, you are the brains of the night shift.”

.

“You have a good nose, Agent. You sniffed out a witness everyone overlooked.”

.

“Thorough as ever, Sousa.”

.

“You believe Carter?”

“I do.”

“Yeah, me too.”

.

“I can handle myself.”

“Sousa, I don’t doubt that.”

…

He pulled himself out of his chair and grabbed his crutch, Peggy’s eyes following his every movement. Pushing open the door, he met Jack’s defensive gaze.

“Well, I got ten bucks that says it won’t.”

Jack slowly, hesitantly, began to grin back. Peggy rose from her desk with a smirk. She and Jack were already bantering before she’d even made it into the office.

Yeah, Daniel decided, he was okay with this.


End file.
